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20100313029699I

Incident · No damage
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FAA incident report · Leonard Wil RV-6 · San Marcos, CA · March 13, 2010

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
March 13, 2010 · 09:23 local
Place
San Marcos, CA
Airport
Oceanside
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N4VY
Reported as
Leonard Wil RV-6
Reported engine
Amateur-built MAZDA
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
800 total500 in this make and model25 in the last 90 days
N4VYRegistered now · Leonard William D RV-6S/N 60033 · Built 2003Airframe modelLeonard William D RV-6Engine modelAmateur-built UNKNOWN ENG

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Aircraft departed Oceanside (okb) on 3/13/2010, for a pleasure flight in N4VY, an experimental amateur built acft with pilot plus one passenger on board. Pilot entered a waypoint in a hand help GPS. Pilot's hand came in contact with the "cold start" switch. (This switch doubles the injector duration which results in an extremely rich mixture). The engine sputtered. The acft was at approximately 1100AGL. Pilot did not have enough time to complete emergency prosedures before he realized he had to find a place to land. He flew under a traffic signal and landed on the east bound lane of west San Marcos blvd. The aircraft did not strike any vehicles on the ground. No injuries noted. While driving back to okb, the pilot realizde the switch must have been tripped. He returned to the aircraft and confirmed it had been switched on. He realizes if he had more time, he would have identified the problem but he also realized that when it is time to fly the plane, fly the plane! The embarrasment of dealing with the NTSB, FAA & fellow pilots plus the cost to relocate the aircraf,t will ensure this does not happen again. Pilot counseled by FAA inspector, addressing distractions while flying.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT DEPARTED OCEANSIDE (OKB) ON 3/13/2010, FOR A PLEASURE FLIGHT IN N4VY, AN EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR BUILT ACFT WITH PILOT PLUS ONE PASSENGER ON BOARD.PILOT ENTERED A WAYPOINT IN A HAND HELP GPS. PILOT'S HAND CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE "COLD START" SWITCH. (THIS SWITCH DOUBLES THE INJECTOR DURATION WHICH RESULTS IN AN EXTREMELY RICH MIXTURE). THE ENGINE SPUTTERED. THE ACFT WAS AT APPROXIMATELY 1100AGL. PILOT DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO COMPLETE EMERGENCY PROSEDURES BEFORE HE REALIZED HE HAD TO FIND A PLACE TO LAND. HE FLEW UNDER A TRAFFIC SIGNAL AND LANDED ON THE EAST BOUND LANE OF WEST SAN MARCOS BLVD. THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT STRIKE ANY VEHICLES ON THE GROUND. NO INJURIES NOTED. WHILE DRIVING BACK TO OKB, THE PILOT REALIZDE THE SWITCH MUST HAVE BEEN TRIPPED.HE RETURNED TO THE AIRCRAFT AND CONFIRMED IT HAD BEEN SWITCHED ON. HE REALIZES IF HE HAD MORE TIME, HE WOULD HAVE IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM BUT HE ALSO REALIZED THAT WHEN IT IS TIME TO FLY THE PLANE, FLY THE PLANE! THE EMBARRASMENT OF DEALING WITH THE NTSB, FAA & FELLOW PILOTS PLUS THE COST TO RELOCATE THE AIRCRAF,T WILL ENSURE THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.PILOT COUNSELED BY FAA INSPECTOR, ADDRESSING DISTRACTIONS WHILE FLYING.